Automatic window closer



Oct. 24, 1961 FIG. I

J. W. MURPHY ETAL AUTOMATIC WINDOW CLOSER Filed Sept. 21. 1959 INVENTOR. JOHN W. MURPHY AR BY DONALD DG AT TORN EY United States Patent 3,005,488 AUTOMATIC WINDOW CLOSER John W. Murphy, 15 Dennison Ave., and Donald A. Edgar, 141 Tracy Ave, both of Lynn, Mass. Filed Sept. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 841,184 1 Claim. (Cl. 160-5) The present invention relates to automatic window closures, and more particularly to an auxiliary window closure.

The object of our invention is to provide a window closure adapted to automatically drop from a normally raised position and close an opening beneath a main raised window closure in response to the entrance of rain into or through the window opening.

Other objects and details of operation of our invention will be better understood by referring in detail to the accompanying specification and drawings in which FIG- URE 1 is an elevation and partial section of a conventional window, frame therefor, and auxiliary window of our invention; FIG. 2 is a side view in partial section of the window shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a section along line 3-3 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and FIG. 4 is a general view of the trigger or cartridge shown in smaller size in FIG. 3.

Referring more specifically to the drawings a window structure is illustrated in which, 1 represents a window frame having a top window closure 2, and a bottom window closure 3, slidable in the conventional window channels 4 and 5 respectively. An additional set of channels 6 and 7 are suitably fastened to the lower sides of the window frame, and these channels are provided with wood dowels 8 and 9 respectively, for retaining in the channels an auxiliary window 10, slidable in said channels. The rails of this auxiliary window or closure 10, may be made of any suitable material, but preferably of aluminum. A plastic rain sealer 3' is glued to the top of the auxiliary closure 10, and extends across the opening between said closure and the lower window, as shown in FIG. 2. A strand of wire or strong flexible cord 15, is attached at one end to spring 23, and strung through hook-eye 14, thence through hook-eyes 13 and 12, to be fastened at 24, to the auxiliary closure 10. This auxiliary closure 10, is adapted to close the opening 11, beneath the rail 11 of the lower main window closure 3, when the latter is raised, as is illustrated in FIG. 1. The auxiliary closure may be made of glass, but preferably is made of clear plastic in order to minimize the possibility of breakage.

The closure 10, may be normally suspended, as illustrated in FIG. 1, by means of suitable suspending means, such as by the hook-eyes 12, 13 and 14, and strand 15, as shown in the drawings. Hook-eye 12, may be fastened to the bottom of rail 16. A cartridge or trigger of suitable moisture saturable material, such as a blotting paper 17, is provided on the window-sill 18, and anchored thereto at the end 19, of the cartridge by means of an anchorpin 20. Connecting the cartridge to the anchor-pin 20, is a spring 21, and the end 22, of the cartridge is connected to a second spring 23. The strand or cord 15 (of fish-line or other suitable strong cord), is attached at one end to spring 23, and strung through hook-eyes 14 and 13, and finally passed through hook-eye 12, to be fastened at 24, to the auxiliary closure 10.

The tensional force of springs 20, and 23, ensures the positive breakage of the trigger at a predetermined tension of the springs. The advantage of this feature is that the required tension of the springs may be chosen for the desired operation of the trigger, and the tension device normally biased to maintain the auxiliary closure 10 in raised open position.

The operation of our invention is as follows: Assuming that the weather is fair enough to warrant the raising of main bottom closure 3, of the window so that rail 11 is as shown in FIG. 1, and that later the weather becomes less fair and brings rain, the closure 10, will remain suspended by strand or strands 15, until such time as cartridge 17, becomes saturated or sufliciently weakened by the rain or moisture entering the window opening 11, until the cartridge 17, breaks. This will cause strand 15 to break under the impetus of the relief of tension of the springs. The weight of auxiliary closure 10, will now cause the latter to drop and close window opening 11.

For subsequent use of the device, it is only necessary to replace the used cartridge 17, with a new one and attach the strand 15, and spring 23, to the end 22, of the new cartridge.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a unique, reliable device for automatically closing a window under the influence of rain or excessive moisture, and by means of a device which is simple and cheap to manufacture and sell; also one which will enable the house occupant to leave the windows partially open while absent from the premises without the worry that would otherwise be encountered should it rain sufficiently to be injurious to the premises while the occupant is absent.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In combination, a window frame having a window-sill, a main top and bottom closure respectively, an auxiliary bottom closure for the window frame, channels for the latter in which the auxiliary closure is slidable, a guiding means on the top closure, a flexible strand adapted to be passed through said guiding means and attached at one end to the top of the auxiliary closure, a moisture saturable wick, an anchor pin on the sill, tension means comprising a spring attached at one end to the anchor pin and at the other end to the wick, a second tension spring attached at one end to the wick and at the other end to the flexible strand, and additional guiding means on a side of the frame through which the flexible strand is guided to make the connection to the top of the auxiliary sash.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 416,806 Roebuck Dec. 10, 1889 1,595,951 Kloniecki Aug. 10, 1926 1,938,058 Wiesener Dec. 5, 1933 2,203,600 Pusak June 4, 1940 2,267,188 Bortz Dec. 23, 1941 2,435,381 Bortz Feb. 3, 1948 

